Las Vegas Metro Police announced the expansion of the John T. Moran Firearms Facility in northeast Las Vegas on Thursday.

Officers with the department said the facility accommodates students from over 30 local, state and federal agencies. The expansion will allow students to utilize the range comfortably and safely, according to a release.

"I first became an officer in 1986, and my firearm training at that point was show up at the range for an hour and we're going to shoot and we're going to have donuts and we're going to leave," Officer Andrew Locher, the project manager said.

These days, Metro Police runs a 90-hour training program with plans to build more, Locher said.

"We have the best training out there. We just don't have the best facilities," he said.

The department has invited first responders across the state and private companies to train together.

"One of the first properties that bought into this was the MGM." "They are bringing money to the game."

He said the facility will be open to law enforcement, firefighters, emergency medical services, the gaming and control board and even private security officers.

"What you don't realize is, there's over 5,000 security officers on duty at any time down there."

First, they're improving the ranges, then they want to build two villages, capable of simulating any kind of disaster, Locher said.

"Street lights on the streets, the fire hydrants work; that's the kind of reality we want." While October 1 was certainly a horrendous event, it really just brought home the need for this type of facility."

Overall it'll cost about $20 million, but the goal is to find enough partners to make sure taxpayers don't have to foot the bill, he said.

"This is very unique. When you look at this from a national standpoint, nobody else is doing this."

Members of the media were given a tour of 'Range 6' which now has the capacity to hold 25 students training on a range 100 yards in length. Previously, the section only allowed 15 students training on a range 50 yards in length, according to a Metro release.

The longer range length gives law enforcement students the opportunity to learn modern police rifle training. In addition, the expansion includes engineered beams that reduce ricochets, police said.

Originally built in 1984, the range consisted of tree ranges and upgraded to the current 12 over the years. Metro did not specify how many more ranges will be added to the facility.

The expansion project is being funded by the LVMPD, NLVPD, Gaming Control Board and the FBI.

Thousands of unionized Las Vegas casino workers gathered at a university arena in red T-shirts and work uniforms as they voted Tuesday to call for a citywide strike that could have huge financial implications for the tourist-dependent destination.

Thousands of unionized Las Vegas casino workers gathered at a university arena in red T-shirts and work uniforms as they voted Tuesday to call for a citywide strike that could have huge financial implications for the tourist-dependent destination.